Vermont news

• Full text: Gov. Phil Scott’s speech on gun laws

  11-04-2018 23:22 via vtdigger.org
  On February 16, I was in my office preparing for the day ahead, when everything changed. That morning, I was handed a document containing charges against an 18-year-old, outlining his detailed plan to carry out a school shooting here in Vermont.Get all of VTDigger's political news.You'll never miss a political story with our weekly headlines in your inbox.Daily
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• House may exempt student summer jobs from minimum wage

  11-04-2018 22:56 via vtdigger.org
  Rep. Helen Head, center, chairs the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerA House committee is considering a bill that would prevent a proposed minimum wage hike from fully applying to high school students working summer jobs.The bill, H.712, proposed by Rep. Timothy Briglin, D-Thetford, would clarify existing law so employers would no longer be required to pay high schoolers the full Vermont minimum wage during summer breaks.The bill is being
  
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• The 'Orphan Trains' That Brought Over One Hundred Children To Vermont dlvr.it/QPD3gV https://t.co/i53qO0yTjt

  11-04-2018 22:40 via twitter.com
  
  The 'Orphan Trains' That Brought Over One Hundred Children To Vermont dlvr.it/QPD3gV https://t.co/i53qO0yTjt
  
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• Burlington School Board report finds no evidence of racial bias

  11-04-2018 20:48 via vtdigger.org
  Burlington School Board member Jeff Wick, whose alleged comments were at the center of the investigation, is shown here voicing opposition to an emergency meeting held on April 1. File photo by Gail Callahan/VTDigger
  BURLINGTON — The Burlington School Board has decided to release the findings of an investigative report that determined comments allegedly made by a board member did not constitute illegal discrimination.
  On the advice of the district’s attorney, the board said in a reso
  
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• UPDATED: Scott hears calls of betrayal and thanks as he signs gun bills

  11-04-2018 20:35 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott signs gun legislation on April 11 at the Statehouse. Photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDigger
  Gov. Phil Scott hadn’t even reached the podium set up on the Statehouse steps Wednesday before hearing past supporters greet him with shouts of “traitor” and former opponents cheering “thank you.”
  The two camps were split with one of the left, the other on the right, and the Republican governor standing square in the middle looking out at them as he marked the signing
  
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• Gun rights activists yell ‘traitor,’ as Scott signs sweeping gun legislation into law

  11-04-2018 20:35 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott at the bill signing for sweeping new gun legislation. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDiggerGov. Phil Scott took to the Statehouse steps Wednesday to sign into law three bills that make historic changes to the state’s gun laws. As he walked out in front of the crowd, gun rights activists shouted “traitor,” while supporters of new legal restrictions on firearms countered, “thanks.”The Republican governor, who as a candidate opposed new gun laws, put his sig
  
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• Gun rights activists yell ‘traitor,’ as Scott signs sweeping gun legislation

  11-04-2018 20:35 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott signs gun legislation on April 11 at the Statehouse. Photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDigger
  Gov. Phil Scott took to the Statehouse steps Wednesday to sign into law three bills that make historic changes to state gun statutes. As he walked out in front of the crowd, gun rights activists shouted “traitor,” while supporters of new legal restrictions on firearms countered, “thank you.”
  Those chants continued intermittently throughout his 25-minute speech. The Republic
  
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• Vermont Council of Trout Unlimited calls for reduction in state’s brook trout limit

  11-04-2018 18:18 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Council of Trout UnlimitedApril 11, 2018
  Contact:Vermont Council of Trout Unlimited802-498-7570
  Moretown – Trout Season begins this Saturday April 14th. In the spirit of a new angling season the Vermont Council of Trout Unlimited calls upon the State of Vermont to reduce the limit on the State’s Cold Water Fish – the brook trout.
  “The Vermont Council of Trout Unlimited (VTTU) endorses changing the State of Vermont creel limit on brook tro
  
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• Randall Szott announces candidacy for the Vermont House of Representatives, Windsor 4-1

  11-04-2018 16:53 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Randall SzottApril 11, 2018
  Contact:Randall [email protected]
  Barnard – Randall Szott, Director of the Wilder Memorial Library in Weston, VT believes the research and communication skills he honed as a public scholar, combined with the work ethic of a chef, and his progressive take on Vermont values, will serve the legislative district well.
  “I hope to continue the tradition of progress in our district. Departing Representative Sue Buckhol
  
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• Brattleboro Common Sense hosts “Apartheid: From Gaza to the reservation”, April 29

  11-04-2018 16:38 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Brattleboro Common SenseApril 10, 2018
  Contact:Mia [email protected]
  Brattleboro – Brattleboro Common Sense presents a discussion with Middle Eastern Scholar Norman Finkelstein and Lakota Sioux Elder Alex White Plume on Sunday, April 29th at 2:00 pm. at the First Baptist Church, located at 190 Main Street in Brattleboro, Vermont. The discussion will focus on the parallels between the treatment of Palestinians in Gaza and Native Americans here at home. BCS
  
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• Attorney General T.J. Donovan reaches out to older Vermonters

  11-04-2018 16:29 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Office of Vermont Attorney GeneralApril 10, 2018
  Contact:Natalie SilverOffice of Vermont Attorney General802-595-8679
  Montpelier – Attorney General TJ Donovan announced today that his Office will be undertaking a statewide listening tour to engage older Vermonters about their most pressing concerns. Currently, over one-third of Vermonters are 55 and older. Many older Vermonters are thriving. Others suffer from financial insecurity, isolation, lack of access to needed c
  
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• City of Burlington to support workforce, businesses during CityPlace Burlington construction

  11-04-2018 16:24 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Office of Mayor Miro WeinbergerApril 10, 2018
  Contact:Katie Vane802-734-0617
  Burlington – Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger, Community and Economic Development Office (CEDO) Assistant Director Gillian Nanton, and Director of ReSOURCE YouthBuild Andrew Jope announced two initiatives to support Burlington’s workforce and businesses during the CityPlace Burlington (formerly Burlington Town Center) and other upcoming construction projects.
  On February 9, 2018, the Vermont
  
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• Lawson’s Finest Liquids celebrates 10th anniversary

  11-04-2018 16:19 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Lawson’s Finest LiquidsApril 10, 2018
  Contact:Sean [email protected]
  Warren – Lawson’s Finest Liquids is pleased to announce that their 10th Anniversary celebration raised $10,884 for two local non-profits! Beer fans from Vermont and throughout the Northeast congregated in Waitsfield this past Saturday, April 7th at the Valley Players Theater for another successful and fun-filled day and evening of music, great food from Canteen
  
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• Winooski holds public events for Main Street revitalization special bond vote

  11-04-2018 16:14 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — City of WinooskiApril 10, 2018
  Contact:Jessie [email protected]
  Winooski – The City of Winooski announces three public events in advance of a Main Street Revitalization Special Election Bond Vote that will take place on May 8, 2018. The Main Street Revitalization project includes the complete modernization of infrastructure on Main Street between the rail bridge and the City line at Exit 16. This includes new water, stormwater and wastewater utilit
  
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• Castleton University announces new agreement with Landmark College

  11-04-2018 15:58 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Castleton UniversityApril 10, 2018
  Contact:Jeff Weld, Dean of AdvancementCastleton University802-468-6052
  Castleton – Castleton University and Landmark College, a private institution located in Putney, Vt., have formed a collaborative agreement creating a pathway for degree completion. The agreement makes the transition for graduates of Landmark College to Castleton seamless and affordable.
  “As we seek to be innovative and collaborative in our growth, agreements
  
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• VCTM holds second annual K-12 statewide Math Fair

  11-04-2018 15:41 via vtdigger.org
  News Release –Vermont Council of Teachers of MathematicsApril 10, 2018
  Contact:Kate McCann, DirectorVermont Council of Teachers of [email protected]
  Burlington- On Saturday April 7, the Vermont Council of Teachers of Mathematics held its second annual Math Fair for K-12 students. The event was hosted by the University of Vermont Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Votey Hall. More than 40 projects were presented representing 16 schools over 6 counties. Judges i
  
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• U.S. Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough to deliver Vermont Law School commencement address

  11-04-2018 15:35 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Vermont Law SchoolApril 10, 2018
  Contact:Maryellen Apelquist, Director of CommunicationsVermont Law [email protected]
  South Royalton – United States Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth Coss MacDonough JD’98 will deliver the 43rd Commencement address at Vermont Law School on Saturday, May 12, President and Dean Thomas McHenry announced today. In addition to honoring MacDonough, a VLS graduate, the school will confer honorary degrees upon Mus
  
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• Downtown Rutland welcomes six new businesses in six months

  11-04-2018 15:29 via vtdigger.org
  News Release — Downtown Rutland PartnershipApril 11, 2018
  Contact:Steve [email protected]
  Rutland – Spring may be missing in action, but businesses continue to sprout in downtown Rutland at a healthy pace. For the sixth month in a row, downtown has seen a new business open its doors each month. They’re all different and each is working to meet the demands of the local community in diverse ways.
  “We’re seeing a rise in entrepreneurs creati
  
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• What is #blockchain, anyway? Could Vermont become a "regulatory sandbox" for industries & businesses using… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

  11-04-2018 14:59 via twitter.com
  What is #blockchain, anyway? Could Vermont become a "regulatory sandbox" for industries & businesses using… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
  
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• Weinberger won’t sign off on Burlington City Council F-35 resolution

  11-04-2018 13:11 via vtdigger.org
  Mayor Miro Weinberger. File Photo by Bob LoCicero/VTDigger.
  Mayor Miro Weinberger announced Wednesday morning that he will not support a Burlington City Council resolution calling for an alternative mission to the F-35 fighter jets, which are slated to be based at the local airport in 2019.
  Weinberger consulted with the Vermont Air National Guard and federal officials who he says satisfactorily addressed noise and public safety concerns raised by the public and a series of investigative stories
  
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• State investigates another PFOA site in Pownal

  11-04-2018 11:30 via vtdigger.org
  Sections of a foundation slab are all that remain of a building that once stood on a parcel off Center Street in Pownal where PFOA contamination was found during testing. State environmental officials are pursuing potentially responsible parties, including General Cable Corp., to assist with further testing and any required cleanup work. Photo by Jim Therrien/VTDigger
  POWNAL — Two potentially responsible parties have been identified relative to PFOA contamination at a Center Street site on
  
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• Weinberger: Burlington city council resolution on F-35 to take effect without his support

  11-04-2018 11:12 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger.On Town Meeting Day, Burlingtonians supported the ballot question advising the City Council to request an alternative mission to the planned F-35 basing. Since then, as I committed prior to the vote, I have looked anew at the specific concerns raised in recent months by the public and the media and carefully considered the Council’s vote. After completing this review, I continue to strongly support the basing of th
  
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• Miro Weinberger: Burlington City Council resolution on F-35 to take effect without his support

  11-04-2018 11:12 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger.On Town Meeting Day, Burlingtonians supported the ballot question advising the City Council to request an alternative mission to the planned F-35 basing. Since then, as I committed prior to the vote, I have looked anew at the specific concerns raised in recent months by the public and the media and carefully considered the council’s vote. After completing this review, I continue to strongly support the basing of th
  
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• Agriculture law seeks to ensure Vermonters ‘right to forestry’

  11-04-2018 03:21 via vtdigger.org
  Logging in Vermont. Creative CommonsA bill establishing a “right to forestry” in Vermont would help hard-up foresters expand their operations and keep more of the state’s forests eligible for protection under the current use program, supporters say.The billalready won a unanimous vote in the Senate and on Tuesday received unanimous support from the House Committee on Agriculture.
  Titled S.101, the bill establishes a “rebuttable presumption” that logging is not a nui
  
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• Governor signs Equal Pay Day proclamation

  11-04-2018 02:40 via vtdigger.org
  Gov. Phil Scott signs a proclamation declaring April 10, 2018 as Equal Pay Day in Vermont. Photo by Mike Dougherty/VTDigger
  Vermont’s gender pay gap, while narrower than the national average, is still staggering: women earn only about 86 cents for every dollar a man makes.Acknowledging this disparity, Gov. Phil Scott signed a proclamation Wednesday declaring April 10 “Equal Pay Day” in the state.Equal Pay Day is recognized around the country as the symbolic date each year when
  
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• Educators seek answers on state’s falling test scores

  11-04-2018 01:43 via vtdigger.org
  Former Secretary of Education Rebecca Holcombe explains the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium test. File photo by Amy Ash Nixon/VTDigger
  Vermont’s students continue to beat the national average on math and reading tests, but the state’s national rank is slipping and students are performing worse than they did when they last took the test two years ago.
  It’s a trend that has experts and educators on alert, and talking about what needs to change at Vermont’s schools.
  O
  
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• Pressed by Leahy, Facebook CEO confirms Mueller has subpoenaed company officials

  11-04-2018 01:28 via vtdigger.org
  An advocacy group installed 100 cutouts of Mark Zuckerberg on the Capitol law, calling on Facebook to adopt policy changes to stop the spread of misinformation on the platform. Photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger
  WASHINGTON — Under tough questioning from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the CEO of Facebook confirmed that company officials have had contact with investigators led by special counsel Robert Mueller.
  CEO Mark Zuckerberg said a company official has been interviewed as part of the probe
  
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• Pressed by Leahy, Facebook CEO confirms Mueller has subpoeaned company officials

  11-04-2018 01:28 via vtdigger.org
  An advocacy group installed 100 cutouts of Mark Zuckerberg on the Capitol law, calling on Facebook to adopt policy changes to stop the spread of misinformation on the platform. Photo by Elizabeth Hewitt/VTDigger
  WASHINGTON — Under tough questioning from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the CEO of Facebook confirmed that company officials have had contact with investigators led by special counsel Robert Mueller.CEO Mark Zuckerberg said a company official has been interviewed as part of the probe
  
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• Laura Wilson: Rodgers doesn’t speak for us

  11-04-2018 01:05 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Laura Wilson, of Guildhall, who is a trial lawyer in the Northeast Kingdom and the chair of the Essex County Democratic Committee.
  The Essex County Democratic Committee is a diverse group. We come from all walks of life. We are farmers, teachers, veterans, retirees, artists, lawyers, retail workers, clergy, municipal officials and more. Many of us are gun owners who value the traditions of hunting and gun ownership. We certainly respect the right of our
  
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• Scott Pattison: New England governors are true leaders

  11-04-2018 01:00 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Scott Pattison, the CEO of the National Governors Association, who is visiting Vermont Wednesday as part of a 50-state tour meeting with businesses, organizations, and foundation leaders.
  Imagine you won an election and come into office facing problems like population loss and a budget that limits your options for how to solve it. Vermont Gov. Phil Scott doesn’t have to imagine, because he’s lived it, and now has soaring approval rating
  
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• Vermont Yankee given OK for scaled-back emergency plan

  11-04-2018 00:56 via vtdigger.org
  Crews prepare to lower a loaded spent fuel cask into concrete at Vermont Yankee. File photo courtesy of Entergy
  Federal regulators have approved a downsized emergency response plan for Vermont Yankee.
  The new plan, which allows for changes in emergency personnel and procedures, is designed to take effect when all of the idled nuclear plant’s radioactive spent fuel is confined inside sealed casks.
  That fuel-storage project is scheduled for completion by the end of this year. At that point,
  
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• Norman Solomon: Blockchain — the silent explosion

  11-04-2018 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by Norman B. Solomon, a retired businessman and CEO and former director of the World Economic Forum in Geneva. He is now the co-owner of Windmill Hill Alpaca Farm and Artisanry in Brookline.Blockchain technology has been described as a Cambrian upheaval creating an entirely new approach to trust and security, impacting every aspect of private and public sector activities. At the recent Davos Symposium of world leaders, the blockchain was predicted to have
  
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• James Hall: Silent majority will be heard in November

  11-04-2018 00:55 via vtdigger.org
  Editor’s note: This commentary is by James B. Hall, of Rutland, who is a retired sergeant major from a 28½ year career with the Vermont Air National Guard. He has served on selectboards in Royalton and Rutland Town and currently serves on the Board of Civil Authority in Rutland Town.
  The track record of Gov. Phil Scott has been deeply disappointing — not his record at Thunder Road, but the one under the golden dome. This record of disappointment goes back to the campaign, when
  
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• VTrans told to bridge its inspections communications gap

  11-04-2018 00:34 via vtdigger.org
  Vermont’s municipalities are responsible for the repair of their own bridges. File photo by Kristopher Radder/Brattleboro Reformer
  If Vermont municipalities seem slow to repair their bridges, a report by the Office of the Vermont State Auditor says it may be a failure to communicate on the part of the agency responsible for inspecting them.
  Local governments might attend to bridge repairs faster, the state auditor’s report suggests, if the Vermont Agency of Transportation were to imp
  
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